After more than a decade of wandering as a freelance journalist and digital nomad, I finally decided to stay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I wrote a personal essay for Business Insider about that decision. Stay tuned for a book I'm working on about why people choose to live in the places they do.
Toronto Star: Trekking in Nepal to see one of the world’s highest mountains, I learned the meaning of pilgrimage — the hard way
A personal essay with my photos about a challenging experience that proved to be a turning point in my life path. Read at Toronto Star (it also appeared in print).
Lonely Planet: Southwest USA (New Mexico)
After a painful pandemic, I hit the road again for Lonely Planet in September 2022 and here’s my first published guidebook (USA Southwest, New Mexico chapter) in the NEW style. Yes, Lonely Planet has changed its style in its 50th year, and while I’m not paid to say this, I think it’s a game changer. … Continue reading Lonely Planet: Southwest USA (New Mexico)
Atlas Obscura: The Mysterious, Naked Night Runners of Western Kenya
While in Kenya, I kept hearing about these naked nuisances that spook their neighbors at night. Thrilled to see the story with such amazing illustrations by Rodolfo Reyes for Atlas Obscura. Read it here.
Lonely Planet: Morocco 13
After six weeks on the ground, 100s of tagines and 1000s of olives, stray cats and za3za3, blood, sweat and a busted ligament, the first Lonely Planet guidebook I researched was finally released today. Buy it at LonelyPlanet.com
BBC: A revival of Indigenous throat singing
Inuit throat singing was at risk of extinction after years of erasure by colonists and missionaries, but TikTok star Shina Novalinga is sharing the tradition for a new generation. Read the in-depth feature with beautiful photos by Stephanie Foden over at BBC Travel.
Beside: Sweet Survival For Quebec’s Sugar Shacks
The pandemic nearly killed Québec’s family-run sugar shacks, but the guardians of this centuries-old tradition wouldn’t let it die so easily. Read the story on Montreal's beautiful Beside Magazine, with photos by Stephanie Foden.
Eater: How Montreal Got Its Taste for Portuguese Chicken
Poutine, bagels, smoked meat, and Portuguese chicken. Look at any food round-up of Montreal dishes and you’ll see these four items listed as essential, signature foods. But how did piri piri chicken, a dish that wasn’t even a traditional component of Portuguese cuisine before the 1970s, end up here? Read my investigation in Eater Montreal.
National Geographic Travel: Oaxaca welcomes spirits home with “bread of the dead”
While walking through 20 de Noviembre market in Oaxaca City, I felt the eerie feeling of being watched. It wasn't by somebody, but by some faces embedded in loaves of pan de muerto (bread of the dead). My quest to discover the significance of this bread within Día de Muertos led me to four towns, … Continue reading National Geographic Travel: Oaxaca welcomes spirits home with “bread of the dead”
Guardian: Black cowboys – Creole trail rides showcase unique culture
What do you think of when you think of a cowboy? A gun-slinging John Wayne type? As my first story for The Guardian shows, there's a whole other group of cowboys that this mainstream narrative leaves out. Photos by Stephanie Foden.
Joel Balsam 